BLOG: Fr. Raphael Ma, CR
May 6 this year will go down as one of the saddest days in the history of the province of Quebec. On that day, members of the Quebec national assembly voted in favour of Bill 52, the “Act of Respecting End-of-life.” Supporters call it “medical aid in dying”. I call it what it is: Euthanasia. ...read more
This an adaptation of my homily for the  second Sunday in Advent, Year A. The readings were: Isaiah 11:1-10; Psalm 72;  Romans 15:4-9 and Matthew 3:1-12. On this Solemnity of the Birth of John the Baptist it is good to reflect on the meaning of being a “voice”. The voice crying out in the wilderness ...read more
It’s unlikely many Catholics have heard of an Anglican-Use Mass or the even more rarified term Anglicanorum Coetibus which is Latin for ‘Groups of Anglicans’. For those of us who may have heard the term in passing, curiosity might have begged an explanation, but I expect many did what I did and thought what the ...read more
Salt + Light Television was once again recognized by the Catholic Academy for Communications Arts Professionals and was awarded the prestigious Gabriel Award for the fifth time since the network’s inception in 2003. The Church Alive, a fast-paced, segmented and interactive show on Salt +Light hosted by producers Cheridan Sanders and Sebastian Gomes, was named ...read more
Bishop William McGrattan is installed in the Cathedral of St-Peter-in-Chains as the 12th bishop of Peterborough. Most Reverend Auxiliary Bishop William McGrattan was appointed as the 12th Bishop of Peterborough in April after the resignation of Most Reverend Bishop Nicola De Angelis, C.F.I.C. The installation of Most Reverend Bishop William McGrattan will be celebrated on ...read more
Pope Francis met on Monday with the Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, saying he hoped their meeting would serve to strengthen further our bonds of friendship and our commitment to the great cause of reconciliation and communion between Christian believers. The audience came on the second day of the Anglican leader’s visit to Rome ...read more
Ever since World Youth Day 2002, my favourite Scripture passage has been the end of Matthew’s Gospel: Matthew 28:16-20. I think it’s because my middle name is Emmanuel. It means “God with us”. I love that Jesus promises us that he will be with us until the end of time. Today we celebrate a great ...read more
Henrique Cymerman has made a career out of talking to people who technically, should be his enemies. That was exactly why Pope Francis enlisted his help to bring the Israeli and Palestinian presidents together to pray for peace. Cymerman is the middle east correspondent for several news outlets based on the Iberian peninsula, including Spain’s ...read more
Here’s what’s been happening in the church this week: Antigonish is closing two churches due to “population decline”. One of the churches is considered the “mother church” of Sydney, N.S. Meanwhile, the Archdiocese of St. Boniface takes a look at the future of it’s parishes. Catholics in Caledonia, Ontario are waiting to find out why ...read more
Pope Francis met today with a leading newspaper in Barcelona, La Vanguardia, to discuss secessionist movements in Europe. During his interview with the Catalonian newspaper, Pope Francis said he was concerned about everything which has been thrown at poor Pius XII, noting the many Jews he had hidden in the convents of Rome and other ...read more